Masonry wall-building machine



Nov. 4, 1952 c. N. DUDLEY 2,616,147

MASONRY WALL-BUILDING MACHINE Filed June 29, 195] 2 SHEETSSHEET l i /4 /5 E INVENTOR 5 5 042. M 000.45% 5 Z2 f: 7z g zdnwflmm 49mm Z ATTORNEYS Nov. 4, 1952 c. N. DUDLEY 2,616,147

- MASONRY WALL-BUILDING MACHINE Filed June 29, 1951 2- SHEETSSHEET 2 K INVENTOR 04.61. N. 01/01. 5),

BY )l 'z mmflmm ADAM/dam (ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MASONRY WALL-BUILDING MACHINE Carl N. Dudley, Doniphan, Mo.

Application June 29, 1951, Serial No. 234,200

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wall-building forms, and more particularly to an improved machine for building masonry wall structures.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved masonry wall-building implement which is simple in construction, which provides accurate alignment of the successive portions of a masonry wall erected by its use, and which is easy to manipulate.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved masonry wall-building appliance involving relatively inexpensive parts, which is rugged in construction, which may be employed for building walls composed of difierent types of suitable mixtures, such as mixtures employing sand, cinders, clay, orany other material that is mixed with liquid to form a plastic mass and which dries or hardens to a rigid condition, the device enabling walls to be constructed without the need of any further forms, without requiring the use of highly skilled artisans, being operable by a single workman, being operable to provide openings in a wall wherever desired, and being arranged for turning corners, as required in the course of constructing masonry walls..

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

' Figure 1 is a top plan view of an improved implement for building masonry walls according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the improved device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevational View of the wallbuilding device of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of use of the improved implement of Fig- 4 ures 1, 2 and 3, and showing the device employed in forming a portion of a masonry wall;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a core device adapted to be employed with the implement to form vertical openings through elements of a masonry wall formed by the use of the improved implement of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the improved wallbuilding implement is designated generally at I I. The device II comprises .a pair of inverted, U-shaped, rigid support members I2 and I3 disposed parallel to each other and spaced apart, and connected by respective, longitudinally extending, vertical plate members I4 and I5 which are rigidly secured to the inside edges of the respective vertical arms of the U-shaped members I2 and I3. As shown in Figure 1, the plate members :4 and I5 are of similar length and are formed at their end edges with the outwardly projecting flanges I6. At their top edges the plate members I4 and I 5 are formed with the inwardly projecting, longitudinal flanges I'I. Pivoted to the intermediate portions of the vertical arms of the U-shaped member I3 at I8, I8

are the respective levers I9, I9, the upper portions of said levers being curved in the manner shown in Figure 3 and being provided at their top ends with the handles 26. The top ends of the levers are connected to the top corner portions of the member I3 by respective coil springs 2|, 2I biasing the top ends of the levers outwardly, as viewed in Figure 3, and biasing the depending lower portions of the levers inwardly toward each other. Similar levers I9, I9 are pivoted to the depending vertical arms of the U-shaped member I2, the top ends of the levers I9 being provided with the handles 20', and saidtop ends being connected to the top corner por'-' tions of the member l2 by coil springs 2I",v whereby the lower depending portions of the levers I9 I9 are biased toward each other by the action of the springs 2|.

Secured to the lower portions of the levers I9 and IS on each side of the device are the respective longitudinally extending, vertical plate elements 22, 22 which are normally disposed below the respective plate members I4 and I5. As shown in Figure 2, the plate members 22 are shorter in length than the plate members I4 and I5, and terminate at the levers I9 and I9. Said levers I9 and I9 are spaced inwardly from the respective end edges of the plate members I4 and I5 by distances substantially equal to the spacing between the plate members I4 and I5 for a purpose presently to be described.

The top edges of the plate members 22, 22 are formed .with inwardly projecting, longitudinal flanges 23 similar in transverse width to the flanges I'I.

Designated at 24 is a removable end plate formed at its side edges with the inturned flange elements 25, 25 adapted to be engaged around the flanges I5, I6 at the ends of the plates I4 and I5 for temporarily closing off the end of the space defined between the walls I4 and I5, as will presently be described. Plate 24 is provided with the flange 26 at its top margin serving as a hand grip for elevating the end plate 24' to a disen gaged position with respect to the flanges I5, I6

may be closedofilby the provision. of twoend:

plates 24 inorder toform a completeblock'at the beginning of the building of a wall.

In order to form air spaces or passages for ducts and the like in a wall, suitablepli'igs'iare prior-Y vided, such as the hollow plug Z'Lshown in Figure 6, said plug comprising a cylindricalyhole'i low body having a closed topswvalhzs torwhicrns is secured a transversely extending supporting pin 29 adapted to rest on the top fianges"-I-'l; II

of the plates I4 and I5 toisupport the plugs 21 m vertieal positions between saidt plates:

In forming a wall,-th'e' hinge elements; I 8. are.- removed: for the first cou'rse, landlthelleversd 9: and- I 9 ar'e likewise removedalong withtne' plate elefnents 22; 22 5 End plates 2siare "engaged on:

the ends of''- the 1 plate :memb'ers I 4iand I 5, "and suitableplugs 'such as theplugs .21; are mounted in the space between the platesi-l i and I5 if air 'spa'ees' or duct passagesiiare desired in the" block. The forin' is filled' with mortar,-*tamped-- and leveled. --'Iheend plates"24 are then: removed and'a supporting-device comprisinga rectangular plate 3isecured 'to a bottom member 3 I. as shown in Fi'gure l, "is held against'on'e end 'ofthe block,

I 5 in the' manner: shown in i Figure 4, to support the plastic'iblock when: the members l 4 and I 51 are' mo vea' lohgitudinallyFihto': position for ior-ming the- 'second blockIrot/th'e :course. 1 When.- the. supporting plat'e 'all is finr'position', the :device is moved longitudinally into position for forming theriext block 'o'fmhe'wallg the supporting-member: 303s removed anditlre end pl'ate24 is'repla'c'ed' on thenanges: l 6, I 6". at thebende of' the .device' oppo-:

site to the previously-formed:block. The pro ced-ur'e employed to'i formfethe first block is then repeated} the: supp'ortingaidevice 1 30- being em-.-: ployed to support thelendiof'theinewly:formed. blbckawheniithe *walhformingi device is moved into -positi'on.fonthenext'block. .The :first 'course I is thus laidkalong a prledeterminedfline; corners being formed as required. Whemthetfirstcourse has been completedrz'the device: is :reassembled: by repl'acingthe leversrI9 and" I9' :and the hingeelements I 8, the devicev remaining assembled. fortheremaindenof the:wall-buildingoperation. In forming the"next:course,-.the flanges 123 of the dependingplate members -22-are fitted into the longitudinal recesses formed in thel first 1 course ofblocksby the flanges I I of-plate members I 4' and I5, whereby the-device is-supported on the members 22-, -ZZar:dmay he slid longitudinally along the first flcourse of blocks; The second course'ofblocksis theniormed by following substantially the same procedure employed-informingthe first .course, employingthe two end'gates' 24 to'- --form th-first block "of the-second course and =employ-ingon1y".one end ga't'ei'u' for the subsequent blocks. Asinthel previously-described procedure, the device3ll; 3I' is employed to sup, pQrtLth end of the newlyfoi'med block as the machine is moved longitudinally 'intoa position for forming'a subsequent block.

ItWvill be notedithat .thespringsi I 2 I bias the plate; elements 2 Z; "i 2 2 inwardly} whereby said springs'pfo'vide a light clamping ac'tionwhich maintains the apparatus in fixed position during the pouring of a block. After a block has been formed, the end gate is removed and the endsupporting means 30 is engaged with the end of the freshly poured portion of the wall. Then the device is grasped by taking hold of the sides of the U-shaped member about midway of each side at the end facing the direction in which the device is to be moved, and the machine is moved toits: new position by pullingion :saidsides. In said new position; a smallportion' of the previously-formed block, for example, a portion about eight inches in length, is retained between thezplatetelements .=l4 an I5. As shown in Figure 4, theend-supporting means 30 is engaged withithsaend of the previously-formed block whilethedeviceis moved to its next position. As shown'in Figure 4, the bar 3| lies on the subadjacent course. Bar 3! may be suitably held down by placing a weight or by stepping on said bar .to'" maintain ithe supporting element 38. .in

engaged position withthe end-.of thepreviouslye formed block; while theiblockniorming .machine:

is moved to itsinexti position; as above described. Itlwill be noted that in forming a corner, the platemembers 22, 22 terminate short of the end of thewa-ll by-a distanceequal-to the width of.

the-wall: This'enables'thecorner blocks to be formed without interference .from the guide plates- It is to be-notedthatat the corner of the structure'the device cannot :be slid longitudinally to an advanced positionbecausethe plates 22, 22-

arezsubstantially inengagement with-the corner formed-in thesubadjacent course of the wall. To

removefithe machine, .it istherefore necessary tolift: the I machine vertically. Therefore, the handles 12 i3, ill-and :20 20' are squeezed inwardly suffici'entlytovmove the flanges23 of plates-22. 4 outwardly to clear thebloc-kr formed at the cor-.

ner;. and= atrthe same .timeithe machine is lifted vertically out of engagement .with. said block by means of said handles.

While a rspecific embodiment of an improvedmasonry wall-building-imachine has beendis-i closedzinithe foregoing description, .it will be understood that various :modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limi-.

1 tationsbe placed on'the invention except as. de-

fined by therscope. of v.the appended. claims What is claimed is: 1. A masonry. wallv building machine comprising a pair of parallel inverted, U-shaped supports; respective elongated vertical main plate members of similardength secured-to the inneredges of--the 'dependingarms of-said. supports and"defininga mold-therebetween, outwardly. turned-flanges on "the endedges of .said plate members, anend platexslidablyengaged with the flanges vonftheendedgesof said plate members and being verticallymovableto a disengaged po-' sition; respective dependinglevers pivoted tothe arms -oft'said supports; :a pair "of: elongated aux. ilia'ry platemembers: coplanar. with. :said. main" plate members: respectively? secured to the'levers: below the mainpl'ate' members, eachbfs'aid'auX-i iliary' plate members being secured at Leach" end to one bf" said-levers,- *and spring means biasing said auxiliary plate members toward each other.

2. masonrywall-buildin'g' machine comprising-a pair'ofparallel-j inverted, U-shaped sup ports, respective elongated, "vertical main plate. members of' similar =length secured to the inner edges f the depending" arms of" said. supports and defining a mold therebetween, an end plate slidably engaged with the end edges of said plate members and being vertically movable to a disengaged position, respective depending levers pivoted to the arms of said supports, a pair of elongated auxiliary plate members coplanar with said main plate members respectively secured at each end to a lever below the main plate members, spring means biasing said auxiliary plate members toward each other, and an inwardly directed, longitudinal flange on the top edge of each of said auxiliary plate members.

3. A masonry wall-building machine comprising a pair of parallel, inverted, U-shaped supports, respective elongated, vertical main plate members of similar length secured to the inner edges of the depending arms of said support and defining a mold therebetween, an end plate slidably engaged with the end edges of said late members and being vertically movable to a disengaged position, respective depending levers pivoted to the arms of said supports, a pair of auxiliary plate members coplanar with the main plate REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,032,419 Morrill July 16, 1912 2,449,725 Slater Sept. 21, 1948 2,506,716 Finnem'ore May 9, 1950 

